


- Quiet Whispers - ( Valgrace )

by Lia_Is_Lying



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Definitely not obsessed with Leo, Hurt/Comfort, Leo is my boy, M/M, PJO, Past Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Short Chapters, Sleepy Cuddles, honestly really bad at updates sooooo, pjo hoo, what are you talking about
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 05:06:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15856788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lia_Is_Lying/pseuds/Lia_Is_Lying
Summary: When Leo woke up in the middle of night from another nightmare, he expected to be alone. But instead, a certain son of Zeus was waiting there for him.- Note - Chapters 1-10 are currently on wattpad, under the username GalaxiRose. However, some parts have been edited. No major story changes, just a few more details here and there.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for Reading! Please comment and let me know what you think, or just randomly smash your keyboard. Comments fuel me.  
> Disclaimer- I did not write this fic to romanticize abuse. This is simply a romance that involves a charcter who has experienced abuse in the past.  
> If you are especially sensitive to severe content such as abuse, gore, non-con/rape,eating disorders, self harm, and mentions of depression/anxiety, you probably shouldnt read this. But its your life, so whatever, just dont blame me :)

It was a warm night in Indiana, and quiet too. The sky was clear, and hundreds of stars glittered brightly. Crickets chirped in the bushes, making a soothing lullaby. To any on-looker, it would seem a perfectly tranquil night.  
But inside the small ranch house where a certain Demigod lived, the night was anything but tranquil.  
Leo sobbed as she dragged him into the basement. The cement stairs were rough on his skin, and he felt the flesh being rubbed away into a raw, bloody mess.  
" I tell you to do one thing. One, simple thing- and you mess that up. You're such a no-good, worthless fuck-up!" She shoved him down the last few stairs.  
He landed with a thud. " God, you're not even worth that check I get every month. You can't clean, you can't even stand on your own. "  
the boy was coughing and spluttering, trying to catch his breath. "I should just kill you and get it over with. "  
He cried out in distress, and quickly tried to haul himself to his feet.  
" L-Lo siento! Lo siento!" The boy wailed, trying to stand. He managed to stumble to his feet. " Por favor, Teresa-"  
The woman- Teresa- now stood over him. She shoved him back to the ground, and kept him there by planting a high-heeled foot on his chest. The boy wheezed, and tried to squirm away.  
" Stay still, you annoying bug..." The boy obeyed, going limp, his eyes wide with terror. Teresa smirked, though her eyes still held anger. " See, that wasn't so bad. You always throw such a fit when I bring you down here. I wonder why..." She toyed with her blonde hair, twirling it around her finger.  
The boy trembled as he thought of the nights previous, where she had held him down and brought a scalpel down on his skin, and when she had pulled out one of his wisdom teeth with a pair of pliers, and when she'd brought that man in and stripped him down and-  
" Stop shaking like that, you freak. I'm not going to hurt you like I did before." Leo looked at her in confusion. His breathing slowed a little, and his chest stopped rising and falling at such an alarming rate. "No... I'm not going no to hurt you like before..." Teresa mused, muttering to herself more than Leo. " That wasn't all that fun anyways. You always pass out so quickly."  
Leo winced as Teresa dug her high heel deeper into his chest.  
" W-What are you going to?-"  
" Did I give you permission to speak?!" Teresa snapped. Leo closed his mouth, and gulped.  
Teresa sighed, looking tired. She stepped back, and Leo breathed in relief. To his surprise, she began to walk back up the basement stairs. Leo quickly began to shuffle towards her, rising up to stand. Teresa turned back, scowling.  
" Who said you could leave?" She said, a strange expression on her face. Leo remembered that she'd had the same look on her face when she had poisoned his food with ammonia.  
Leo began to stutter-  
" I-Uh, I thought you wanted me to clean up the mess I made-" Teresa held up her hand in a ' stop talking ' gesture. Leo halted, wobbling where he stood. What was she planning? Surely, it couldn't be too bad-  
Teresa crossed her arms, shaking her head in disgust.  
" I'm sick of having you around. You're always under my feet, tripping me, messing up everything. Tonight, I just wanted to have some friends over. And you just had to trip, and spill the drink I told you to bring over..." She stepped closer to Leo, grabbing his wrist. "And, of course, your sleeve trailed up, and your scars started to show... I bet you did that on purpose, you little brat." Tears were flowing down Leo's face as she squeezed his cut-up wrist. A few drops of blood started to trickle down his arm. He started to mumble something, but she cut him off quickly. " None of that. I'm tired of you. I'm done." With that, she shoved him back a final time, sending him to the floor. Leo landed on his rear, still looking confused. Teresa stepped up the stairs, heels tapping on the cement. At the top, she glanced back over her shoulder. Her blue eyes gleamed. "Goodbye, Leo Valdez. You filthy Diablo." With that, she slammed the door shut, sealing him in darkness. The doorknob clicked. She had locked him in from the outside.  
Leo whimpered.  
He remained in that basement for about 2 weeks.  
~~~


	2. 1 - Jason -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo awakens.   
> Also., Jason is gay. So gay.   
> Remember to comment :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning, but its pretty much just for everything in the last chapter.

Jason was exhausted. In fact, he could barely stand.   
But for some strange reason, he couldn't sleep. He felt strangely buzzed, like he had chugged down a gallon of coffee, and weirdly restless.   
So, like any normal person, Jason went to seek comfort in food.  
The dining hall was serene, with the screens depicting Camp Half-Blood on the wall showing the dining pavilion. On the screens, campers were talking and eating, occasionally throwing food at one another.   
Chiron trotted about, occasionally stopping to speak to a camper, before continuing his pacing up and down the rows of tables.   
Jason sat down at a table, taking in the scenery.   
It made him a little sad to think of the place that had begun to feel like home for him. He would do nearly anything to teleport there right now, and join his fellow demigods in a game of food-fighting.   
But he couldn't, could he? He sighed. First, he had to save the world ( maybe dying in the process ), and pray to the gods that he could get some sleep in the meantime.   
Not that they seemed to be listening to that last request.   
Jason supposed that it could be worse. He could be like Leo, who was constantly running around with machinery and equipment in hand, desperately trying to fix things with limited supplies and time. Or, he could be like Hazel- who had just recently returned to this century, and was trying to learn everything that had happened in the past couple of decades. Or...   
Leo. Jason's mind couldn't seem to move from that topic. And maybe it was because he was sleepy, but it seemed like Leo had been on his brain more than usual lately.  
His caramel-brown eyes, his stupid smile... And even that little birthmark he had on his neck. Jason kind of wanted to kiss it-  
Stop it, me Jason chided himself, that's gross. Okay, it was pretty freaking disgusting, how much Jason thought of sucking on Leo's neck. And how much it turned him on.   
Jason put his head in his hands in frustration. How could he have managed to fall for a short mechanic with curly hair? A son of Zeus, in love with a scrawny son of Hephaestus.   
He's not that scrawny though, he thought, his arms are kind of toned, and he has really nice legs, the kind a woman has, all lean and pretty-   
" Oh my gods, stop." Jason groaned aloud, pulling at his hair. He had a problem. A serious problem. A 'I'm falling in love with a deranged mechanic' problem.   
It wouldn't have been so bad, if he had fallen for a daughter of Hephaestus. But nooo, he just had to get the hots for a guy. Of course he couldn't have just fallen for a girl, like any normal person.   
Maybe if he ate, and got some sleep, these crazy, sleep deprived thoughts would go away. ( Though it was probably impossible to cure being gay by sleep. Whatever. He didn't want to deal with that right now. )   
A little basket of fruit sat in the middle of the table ( courtesy of Annabeth, who had insisted that they always have healthy foods available ). Jason started to reach for an apple, when he heard a commotion down the hall.  
He froze, straining to hear what the noise was.   
It sounded like talking, yelling maybe- and it was coming from Leo's room. Jason didn't even hesitate. He sprinted towards the noise, sneakers thudding against the floor.   
~~~  
Jason stopped when he reached Leo's room, suddenly feeling a little bit like a creeper. What kind of person just waltzed right into another persons room, noises or not?   
Inside the room, Jason heard the sound of sheets rustling, and more mumbling.   
He's probably just having a Demigod nightmare. You should just leave him alone.   
But for some reason, Jason didn't want to. If it had been any of the others, he would have just walked away. But since it was Leo... Since it was Leo, the boy he had a bit of a crush on...  
Jason swallowed the lump in his throat and knocked on the door.   
The sound carried loudly, and Jason winced. He had probably just woken up everyone.   
Jason listened for a reply. He expected to hear Leo give his usual cheerful reply of ' come on in!', but he heard no such words. Instead, there was more shuffling about and mumbling from Leo's side of the door.   
Steeling himself ( and feeling a little guilty), Jason opened the door.   
~~~  
At first, he couldn't really see anything. His eyes hadn't adjusted- so all he could see was a vague outline of a desk and a bed.   
But then his vision started to focus, and then he was able to see Leo.  
The boy was writhing about in his bed, tangling himself up in the sheets. He was wearing a red t-shirt, but the rest of him was covered in blankets. He seemed agitated. Jason thought he could see a little bit of smoke rising from his body.   
But what worried him more was what he was saying.   
" L-Lo Siento... Lo siento..." The boy whimpered. He curled into a ball in his bed, his knees up against his chest. " Por favor, Teresa-"   
Oh gods, now Jason felt properly terrified. Wasn't Teresa a foster parent Leo had mentioned? Yes, he remembered now. When he'd asked Leo what she was like, Leo had scrunched up his nose and shook his head.   
And the Spanish part... Jason barely knew any Spanish, but he could tell that the boy was saying ' I'm sorry, I'm sorry' . That made his blood run cold. Leo wasn't the type to apologize in such a panicked, terrified-sounding way.   
Jason stepped forward, towards the bed. Leo was hyperventilating, his chest rising and falling in a way that made Jason nervous.   
" Uh.. Leo?" Jason said, reaching out to touch the boy. He tapped his shoulder lightly, for some reason feeling like he had to treat the boy gently, like he was made of glass.  
As soon as he did, Leo yelped and scooted away from him, his eyes moving underneath his eyelids.  
Jason pulled his hand away in shock. What could the boy be dreaming about that would make him so jumpy?   
I need to wake him up, Jason realized. Whatever he's dreaming about is serious. He's freaking out...   
Jason took Leo's small shoulders in his hands and shook him slightly.   
" Leo? Wake up, buddy..." He shook him some more. Leo shivered in his grip. He murmured something incoherently.   
" Leo. Wake up. " Jason hasn't even realized he was channeling electricity into his palms until he saw it sparking and when it began to electrify Leo.  
Jason jumped back. Oh gods, I hurt him-   
Leo shot up in his bed with a scream, tears in his eyes.  
They stared at each other in silent shock for a moment.   
Then Jason began to speak.  
~~~


	3. 2 - Leo -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just two bros... talking it out. Not gay or anything. Definitely not. Never...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of comfort. Also mentions of abuse.

In retrospect, Leo shouldn't have screamed. He usually wasn't the type to scream in bed ( ha ha ha, no, not in that way ), and he felt a little bit like a coward for waking up in such a way after a little nightmare.   
And Leo felt even more embarrassed when he saw Jason standing at his bedside, gaping at him.   
Leo stared back, hoping for a split second that this was another nightmare, and that he would wake up any moment now.  
" U-Uh..." Jason began, his face going red. " I didn't- uh, I wasn't like, watching you sleep- umm...I know that sounds like a lie, because I was staring at your face-"   
Leo raised his hands to his face, and felt tears. Oh gods, he was actually crying in front of Jason-  
And- wait a second, why was Jason here? In his room at three in the morning?   
Jason kept on talking.   
" Um, oh, that came out wrong. I-I heard you talking in your sleep, and I came to check up on you... Sorry, I know that's weird..."   
Jason rubbed the back of his neck, not meeting Leo's eyes.   
Leo grabbed his blankets and wrapped them around himself. He didn't know what to say.  
All of the jokes he would usually make seemed stuck in his throat. And he felt humiliated, because for some reason tears were still streaming down his cheeks, and he was sure he looked like a total mess-  
" Wait... Are you- are you crying?" Jason sounded a little panicked now.  
Leo managed to speak, then.  
" Uh.. What are you doing in here?" His voice felt raw, like he'd been in a shouting match.   
" I was in the dining hall, and I heard some noises in here... I came to make sure you were okay." Jason looked concerned. " Are you okay?"  
Leo suddenly had a panic moment. He's gonna think I'm such a baby, crying like this. Maybe I can fake this...   
Leo chuckled nervously, wiping away a few tears with the back of his hand.   
" Uh, yeah. I'm good. You know how it is. Nightmares, scary prophecies..." He coughed, looking uncomfortable. " Yeah.. Could you not tell the others about this? I think they already dislike me enough, I don't need them knowing I've been crying like a little kid..."   
Jason nodded his head solemnly.   
" I won't tell them... But what were you dreaming about? You were talking in your sleep, and thrashing around. You sounded like you were fighting something."  
Leo felt pins and needles in his throat, and his lungs suddenly seized up a little.   
Oh gods, he heard me. He's gonna think I'm such a pathetic loser if I tell him what I was dreaming about, he's never gonna wanna be around me again, what kind of boy gets beaten up by a woman, I don't want him to know-  
"I.. Uh, it's a long story. Really, Jay, I'm fine. Go back to bed." Leo wrapped the blankets around him tighter, his heart hammering. Please just leave so I can cry myself back to sleep...  
But Jason didn't seem in the mood to leave. Instead, he sat down on the foot of Leo's bed.   
" Leo, you look like a mess. You need to tell me what's up." Jason took a breath, seeming tired. He began-  
" You've been really distant. I mean, that's not your fault- I know you've been really tired, and working really hard, but I- We miss you. And even when you're around, you look kinda sad when you think no ones watching you. You flinch at everything, like you're scared of everything. You're... You're worrying me. You've kind of been avoiding me.. And I don't know what I did wrong, so I'm assuming something is bugging you and making you want to avoid me. If you don't wanna talk about the nightmare, that's okay, but just tell me what's wrong." Jason paused. " please."   
Leo stared at him, stunned. He'd kind of hit the nail head on, with all that distant and depressed subject.  
If Leo was being honest with himself, he had been a pretty crappy friend the last week or two. Every night, he'd had these horrible nightmares. And everyday, he'd felt drained and not in the mood to be his usual happy-go-lucky self.   
And maybe he had been ignoring Jason, just a little. Jason didn't seem to notice- ( maybe he blamed it on Leo being busy ) but he really had been avoiding the blond.   
Leo opened his mouth, as if to speak, then closed it. He didn't know how to reply.  
Jason gave him a small, sad smile.   
" I'm right, aren't I? You've been acting all sad. I just wanna know the reason behind it, yeah?"   
Leo nodded, looking down at his lap.   
Jason scooted a little closer, and Leo backed away instinctually. He swore he could still feel Teresa's heel pushing down on his ribs, limiting his breathing and making him feel like a cornered animal.   
" So.. Can you talk to me?" Jason said, looking a little imploring.   
Leo nodded again.  
He gulped, trying to arrange the words in his mind. He had to say this right, and he had to make Jason brush off this whole ordeal like it was just a silly dream.   
" I.. You know that one foster parent I told you about? Teresa?"  
" The one who was blonde, and kind of mean?"   
" Yeah, that one. She was... Well, she was more than a little mean..."  
This was the part Leo had to be careful about. He wanted to make it sound better than it was. Even if it meant twisting the truth a little bit. He wanted to make it sound like she had just slapped him once or twice, and hadn't abused him to the point of starvation and near-death.  
Because he didn't want his best friend to know how weak he was.   
" She.. She was pretty uncool to me, you know? She didn't really like kids, but she wanted the extra money you get for fostering an orphan. "  
Jason scowled at that.   
" Isn't that illegal, or something? Just fostering kids for the money and only the money?"   
" No... It isn't. She wasn't the first foster parent I had who did that... But anyways... So, she was kinda mean, and she battered me around a bit. That's all. That's what I was dreaming about. It's nothing, I told you-"  
" Battered you around?" Jason said, sounding confused. " what does that mean?"   
Leo looked away.  
" She hit me a couple of times, okay? It hurt, but I'm here now, it's fine..."   
After Leo said those words, silence followed. The space between the two boys felt heavy and awkward.   
Jason had gone strangely quiet. Leo couldn't see him very well in the darkness, but he could sense electricity in the air, making his clothes and hair staticky.   
" She..." Jason's voice was soft, but it made Leo feel uneasy. " She hit you?"   
Okay, now Leo was feeling anxious.   
You messed up, Valdez. Of course Jason is going to make a big deal out of this, he's so overprotective, he's like the fucking dad of the seven of us-  
" Yeah.. But is fine, I told you. A couple of ribs were broken, but they're healed now-" Leo snapped his mouth shut, realizing he's said something he hadn't meant to. What is wrong with you, he's going to freak out-  
" She broke your ribs?!" Jason shouted. Leo could see him now, and his brow was furrowed, and his eyes were dangerously dark, and he looked so angry-  
He moved so he was right next to Leo, practically on top of him.  
Leo flinched, despite his best judgement. Jason wouldn't hurt me... Would he?   
Jason stopped abruptly when Leo flinched. All of the anger left his face.   
" oh- oh, Leo, I'm sorry. I am so sorry..."  
Leo had started to cry again. He wanted to rip out his tear ducts, for acting like they were, flaring up at the worst times.  
"I'm.. Gods, Leo, I had no clue. I'm so sorry. I should've known..." Leo shook his head, feeling warm, salty tears flowing down his cheeks. He just wanted him to leave, to forget all of this..." I'm.. Can I hug you?"   
Leo nodded slowly, still trying to process Jason's words. Is... is he actually okay with this? Does he not see me as a coward...?  
Jason reached out and wrapped his arms around Leo, squeezing him tightly.   
Leo found his head shoved into the crook of Jason's neck, his body cuddled up against Jason's strong form. They were at a bit of a weird angle, and Leo found himself shoved halfway onto Jason's lap, one of his legs wrapped around Jason's hips and the other tucked underneath himself.   
He could feel his heartbeat against his chest, thumping at a fast pace. And when Jason started to speak, he could feel his breath against his ear.  
" Leo.. I'm sorry. No person deserves that. And I'm sorry I acted like a jerk, yelling like that- I probably scared you, and you're probably already scared enough..." Jason laughed, but it was a humorless one. " Gods, you probably just want to be alone... And I'm here, making you talk about all of this, like a selfish idiot..."  
Leo didn't respond. He was too busy enjoying the warmth Jason provided, and how soft and reassuring his voice was.   
Leo didn't usually like physical contact. Ever since his abusive foster homes ( yes, homes, plural ) he had found himself wary of being touched by anyone- even Piper and Jason, some of his closest friends.   
But now... he felt so strangely protected, more than he had felt in years. And he found himself wrapping his arms around Jason as well, and holding him as close as he could.   
" Leo... " Jason said. Leo ignored him, burrowing his head into Jason's shoulder. He didn't want Jason to move, or to leave, because he suddenly wanted more than ever just to be close to someone, to be coddled and held tight-  
But then Jason pulled away, taking away that feeling of safety with him. His arms were still on Leo's shoulders, though they were now holding him an arms length away.   
" Why... Why didn't you tell me?" He had a sad, betrayed look on his face that made Leo feel even worse than he had before.   
~~~


	4. Leo - 3 -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes bros gotta cuddle. Also maybe Leo is realizing his feelings. Nbd, just another night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to comment! Todays question is... Who was your first crush?   
> Mine was this guy named Calvin, who I knew in kindergarten. One day at recess I told him I loved him and he ran away and never spoke to me ever again. lmao

Leo didn't answer.   
He toyed mindlessly with his fingers, lacing them together and occasionally picking under his nails.  
He was scared, and beginning to panic. He should have never told Jason anything about his past- much less anything including Teresa. Those months when he'd lived with her had been filled with pain, sadness, and confusion. That part of his life was something he wished he could forgot all together.   
But now he had told Jason, and now he had to answer his questions.   
" I... I don't know... It isn't really something that would come up in conversation." He laughed dryly, hoping Jason would leave it at that.  
He didn't.  
" But we could've tried to help you...Or at least given you someone that you could talk to..."  
Leo hung his head. Gods, he couldn't do anything right  
. He had thought he was being good by keeping all of this a secret. He knew that their quest was way more important than any issues he had. And he knew that if he had mentioned his past, it would just make a distraction that would get them off task.  
But now he just felt like a jerk. Piper and Jason had told him nearly everything about their own pasts and memories. He knew that Pipers dad had an assistant who had been cruel to her- and even slapped her- on many occasions. He knew how insecure Jason was about his mother, and how hard he tried to forget about her.   
And recently, they had confided in him even more. They told him how they'd broken up, because their feelings had faded. Piper had sobbed into his shoulder later that night, sharing how she felt it was her fault that their relationship had fallen apart. And the next morning, Jason had shared that he had ended the relationship because he had feelings for someone else. And that the someone else was a guy.  
He felt like a jerk, because what kind of person expects people to confide in him and trust him when he never says anything about himself?   
" I just... I didn't want to worry you... You've all been going through so much lately, with you and Piper splitting up. I thought it would be selfish." Leo fiddled with a small tear in his blanket. " A-And it's not even that bad anyways... It's just nightmares-"  
" Leo, don't say things like that." Jason said strictly. " You're just as important as me, or Piper, or anyone on this ship." He rubbed Leo's shoulders in a comforting way.   
Leo sniffled, leaning into the touch.   
" You... You really think so?" Leo hated how weak and feeble his voice sounded. Jason didn't seem to care.  
" Of course I do. Hell, where would we all be without Leo-freaking-Valdez?" Leo smiled at that.   
"Yeah... I guess." Jason clicked his tongue.  
" No, none of that. You are important." Jason chided. " Now, repeat after me- I am important."   
" Jay, that sounds really dumb-"  
" Say it!"Jason was faking a strict look, trying to look angry- and failing miserably.   
"Ugh, fine- I am important. There, you happy?"   
Jason grinned, the scar on his lip shifting.   
" Very."   
Leo laughed, and this time it was real. He loved Jason when he was like this- goofy, and so unlike the leader he tried so hard to be. And he liked his smile, because it was so big and wide that his eyes nearly squinted shut when he grinned.   
He didn't want him to leave, he realized. He wanted to be around him for a while longer, even though it was the middle of the night. He wanted to be near that smile, and those icy blue eyes that were clear and bright.   
Jason seemed to notice, because he chuckled and said-  
" Hey, why don't I stay here for the night? We can talk in the morning. I'm sure you're tired..." Jason trailed off, looking away. And maybe it was just his imagination, but Leo swore he saw him blush. " I can sleep next to you, and wake you up if you have a nightmare... "  
Oh man, Leo was the one blushing now. And his brain was thinking, Jason said he liked a guy- maybe that guy is you-  
Oh gods, he couldn't be. Why would a golden boy like Jason fall for someone like him?  
" Okay... Um, there's an extra pillow in the closet over there." The words left his mouth before he had the good thought to stop them. Oh, Jason is going to sleep in your bed, like he's your boyfriend-  
Stop it, me. Leo thought to himself.   
Leo settled back into bed, laying down. He tried not to acknowledge the fact that his kind-of-crush was actually going to sleep next to him, even if it was just out of pity since he'd been crying.  
He's probably just trying to be nice, you shouldn't read into this...   
But then Jason was throwing back the blankets, and setting an extra pillow near Leo's head. He crawled into bed, awkwardly waiting while Leo scooted over and tried to give the larger boy more room.   
But there wasn't really enough room, and Leo felt kinda squished when Jason laid down beside him.   
There's no way I'm not gonna read into this. His dick is like three inches away from me... And I've watched way too many inappropriate things, and I'm thinking of a lot of those things right now...  
Ugh, maybe Piper had been right when she'd said he was a pervert.   
" Uh... Sorry, it's gonna be kinda tight." Leo shook his head, and mumbled, 'it's not that bad ' even though he could barely move without touching Jason. And he definitely didn't want to do that, or else he was sure he'd loose control and try to kiss him, or something else that was really gay and really stupid.   
Leo felt Jason settle in beside him, finally going still after adjusting his pillow a few times.   
Just when Leo thought he would try to get some sleep, Jason spoke.   
" Hey, Leo?"  
" Yeah Jay?" Leo was surprised at how calm his voice sounded, since his heart was hammering in his chest.   
" I just wanted to say... None of that stuff was your fault. " He took a breath, as if preparing himself. " And... I... I really care about you, you know? So please talk to me. Don't ever feel self conscious."   
" Oh... That's, uh, neat." Oh Hera, just kill him now. Who says neat anymore?   
Jason laughed beside him, and it almost made Leo laugh too, because his laugh was this big ha ha ha that was loud and stupid sounding.  
" Yeah, neat. And...uh, hold on a sec-" Jason suddenly shifted so he was facing Leo, and then he wrapped his arms around him, drawing him close, and holding him so close to his chest that Leo could feel every breath and could hear Jason's heartbeat.  
" Goodnight, Leo. Sleep tight, okay?" Leo would've responded if his mind wasn't stuck on the thought of he's holding me he's holding me oh man he smells like mints and rain-  
So he did the only thing he could think of doing. He tucked his arms around Jason's back, relishing at the warmth. And he pressed his forehead against Jason's chest, not caring that his head moved a little every time Jason breathed.  
He felt... Warm, and safe, and for the first time in months, he felt loved. And for the first time in nearly a week, he fell asleep with no fear in his mind.  
Jason was holding him, and he was safe.


	5. 4 - Jason -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason takes some time to think, now that things have calmed down. Also he is a bit of a perv.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment if you want Jason to confess his feelings ;)

Jason felt like his heart was going at 100 miles per hour.  
And his head was starting to throb with an incoming headache.  
And he was having trouble processing all the things he had heard from his best friend ( and crush ).  
Leo Valdez was a lot of things. A jokester, a class clown. A mechanic who had built a warship in about a month. A pyromancer who had managed to survive on the streets after his mother had died an his family had abandoned him.  
But a kid who had been abused?  
That couldn't be Leo Valdez.  
Jason had known that Leo had been though multiple foster homes. He'd also known that he had run away from those foster homes multiple times.  
He'd never asked why.   
He'd just figured it was some crappy reasoning that only Leo could justify. Something along the lines of " it was boring there" or " they wouldn't let me play with dangerous tools like chainsaws and hammers".   
But now he felt guilty. Really guilty. He should have known it was because of abuse. Why else would a little kid run away from his home, into the cold streets?  
So here he was, holding the boy close, and trying very hard not to think about the fact that the only thing between them was a thin layer of clothing.  
And wow, Leo was warm and soft, and he smelled a bit like oil and smoke- but there was something else there too, a sort of cinnamon and sugar scent that reminded Jason of a bakery.   
It was nice. It was really nice.   
Leo had his head against his chest, so Jason could feel his breathing. He was breathing slowly and softly. Jason was pretty sure he had fallen asleep.   
He still felt guilty- but now he felt a bit better. The boy must have felt comforted, because now he was asleep in his arms.  
And now Jason was having all kinds of weird urges. He wanted to pet his hair, and rub his back in circles. He wanted to kiss his forehead.  
And a very perverted part of him was tempted to touch Leo, to slip a hand under the hem of the boys sweatpants and touch him before he woke up and stopped him.  
Stop it, Jason, he thought to himself. Only a stalker and a freak would think like this.   
All of these weird, weird things that made his desperately unrequited love seem all the more apparent.  
He felt like he was invading Leo's privacy, too. First he had walked right into his room. Then he had settled himself in like a bird into its nest.  
Maybe he shouldn't have felt so bad thought... the opportunity was just too good to miss. He knew that this was probably the only chance he would get to cuddle with Leo, especially considering the boy usually hated physical contact.  
Jason began to play with Leo's hair mindlessly. It was so soft that it slipped through his fingers like silk. And when he sniffed it slightly, he realized it smelled faintly like vanilla.   
Jason seriously needed to find out what shampoo this boy was using, and make him stop using it immediately. Or else he would definitely get some kind of gross hair fetish.   
How can a human boy be so perfect?   
Leo stirred in his sleep, as if he'd heard Jason's thoughts. Jason went still, a hand still hovering over his messy curls.  
Leo mumbled, and then scooted closer to Jason. He hugged him tighter and wrapped his legs around Jason's. Leo pressed himself against Jason, pushing his head into the crook of Jason's neck.   
Jason, meanwhile, had one coherent thought-   
Holy shit holy shit holy shit.  
His face was cherry red, and it took him a solid 5 minutes to calm himself down to even be able to think clearly.   
When he was able to think clearly, he found himself thinking about Leo's past again.   
He felt bad for him. No one should be abused- especially not someone as kind and selfless as Leo. And he shouldn't have been abused so harshly. If what Leo said about having broken bones was true... Jason shuddered involuntarily. He hated to think about a young Leo with broken ribs, too young to understand just how serious the situation was.  
And... How many times had he been forced to endure things like that, all alone, before he was able to escape?  
Was it just once or twice... Or more than that?   
In that moment, Jason made a decision.   
He would stay with Leo until everything about his past was known. He wanted to know what had happened- so he could help him through it. Maybe it wouldn't be a big help, but he thought that getting the dark thoughts out into the air might help his nightmares.  
Plus... Maybe if he spent more time with the mechanic, he would finally get a good chance to confess his feelings. He'd kind of wanted to tonight, but then he thought that the boy was already dealing with enough- he probably didn't need ( or want ) a love confession to worry about.   
Jason began to comb his fingers through Leo's hair again, even though he had to bend his arm at an odd angle to do so, with Leo's head so close to his.   
Before he could stop himself, he pressed a soft kiss to Leo's head.   
" Goodnight... " maybe now was a good time to say what he wanted. " Love you."   
Jason hoped that someday, he'd have the will to say those words when Leo was awake to hear them.


	6. - 5 - Leo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo wakes up, and Jason decides to keep him company today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to comment! Todays question is... When was your first sleepover? Mine was at my tenth birthday party. I remember it specifically because that day was also the day I got my first period :( The female body is truly a torture machine.

Leo woke up to Jason's snores.  
For a moment, he was confused. Why was someone in his bed?  
But then he remembered everything.  
Jason coming into his room in the middle of the night.  
Jason holding him when he cried.  
Jason settling down beside him to sleep.  
Leo sat up in bed, rubbing at his eyes. Beside him, Jason was curled up into a ball, still snoring every breath.  
Normally, Leo would have laughed if he had found out any of his friends snored so loudly. But... With Jason... It was actually sort of charming. It was almost soothing, hearing his snoring. It was constant, and made Leo want to cuddle up beside him again.  
But... No. He had work to do. He had a half dozen repairs to start on. He had to fix the plumbing, which Percy has ruined (seriously, who destroys plumbing when they're angry?). Plus, there was the ever present duty of trying to get them half across the world before dirt lady woke up.  
Yeah, that made his stress skyrocket to a million. He needed every minute he could get, if he planned to save the world like he was supposed to.  
Leo crawled over Jason, who grunted in his sleep. He managed to climb off the bed without waking him.  
He riffled around his room, trying to find clean clothes. Well, somewhat clean anyways. For him, clean meant that it  
1) had been washed in the last week, and  
2) had five or less oil stains.  
He managed to find a red t shirt and some jeans. He was just slipping on his boots when Jason woke up.  
The son of Zeus yawned loudly, blue eyes opening. His hair was a total mess, sticking up in odd ways on his head.  
Leo snickered.  
"Morning, sleeping beauty. Want me to wake you up with a kiss?"  
Jason's eyes widened and he blushed.  
"U-Uh, no thanks. How late is it?"  
"About 4 AM."  
Jason groaned, falling back into the mattress.  
"Ugh, what? You seriously wake up this early?" Jason pulled the covers over his head, snuggling into Leo's pillow.  
Leo tied his boots, and stood up.  
"Yup. I've got a dozen things to do, and only an hour or two to do them. " Leo turned back to him and smiled. Jason looked awfully cute sleeping in his bed , under his blankets. "You go back to sleep, Jay. I can tell you need your beauty sleep."  
Jason came up from under the covers, frowning. He shook his head.  
"no, I'm fine. I'll get up with you." Jason began to get out of bed.  
"What? No, that's fine- really, I don't need company, I've got Festus-"  
Jason rubbed at his eyes, standing up. He had slept in his shoes (who does that???) .  
"I'm coming along Leo. There's no stopping me." Jason looked at him and gave a sleepy grin. " Plus, I act pretty dumb when I'm tired. I'll be very entertaining."  
Leo frowned.  
" Jeez, Jay, I'll feel bad if I make you come along with me to do repairs. Especially since you stayed up with me last night..." Leo stopped, his cheeks going red. He looked down at his shoes. " I didn't think you'd wanna be around me, after I told you that... That thing..."  
Jason looked at him blankly. Then he smiled sadly.  
"Leo, I might be dumb, but I'm not that dumb. I'd never ditch you just because you've gone through some rough times. I mean, really, how many times have you been there for me when I needed to talk? I want to be there for you too. Even if it means getting up with you to do dumb repairs before the sun has risen."  
Leo gazed at him, flabbergasted. He... He really cares about me. He almost started to cry despite himself. He couldn't remember anybody talking to him like this, so honestly, so lovingly, since his mom had died. In fact, Jason reminded him of her, just slightly. The thought made him feel slightly sad- but also happy.  
Really happy.  
Leo laughed softly. He grabbed his tool belt from where it was laid on his dresser.  
Wrapping it around his waist, he looked to Jason and smiled.  
"Well, come on then, pikachu. Let's get to work!" He started to walk out the door, but Jason laid a hand on his shoulder.  
"Hold up a sec."  
Leo turned back to Jason. He felt nervous.  
"W-What's up?"  
Jason smiled.  
"If you wanna talk or anything... I'm here. Okay?" His eyes were as blue and clear as water. They seemed to look past Leo's outer shell- the one that joked and hid his pain- into the real him, the one that he tried to hard to hide. But his eyes weren't judging- just honest. Just full of compassion and caring.  
It made Leo want to kiss him, more than anything else in the world.  
"Okay. T-Thanks."  
The two headed outside Leo's room, the moon still shining low in the sky.


	7. 6 - Jason -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason talks with Leo, but the topic shifts to Leos weight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- This chapter mentions what could definitely be considered an eating disorder. 
> 
> Also Percy is definitely the sort of friend who would make his other friends watch bad porno, and no one can convince me otherwise.

Jason followed Leo, his stomach fluttering. He was spending time with his crush, early in the morning, when no one could interrupt them. They were alone- really alone- and the thought thrilled Jason.  
His teenage mind went to one of those shitty pornos Percy had made him watch where two guys had been alone and a room and ended up doing it. It was in no way a good porno- in fact, it turned him off more than anything else, for the lack of plot of nothing else...  
Jason nearly slapped himself for thinking like that. Percy really was a horrible influence. It was a wonder he had managed to hook Annabeth.  
Leo led him below deck, where the engine room was. As they entered it, Leo began to speak.  
"So, I figured we'd start with the easy stuff. I've got to saughter some wires in here that got cut when we overheated the engine last time. I've got to add some refireigetation units to the engine- I'll need your help for that. I need you to hand me some stuff, since it'll be hard for me to see well enough to grab the right materials. Can you do that?" Leo looked back at him. His brown eyes were strangely intense and focused. They'd lost all their usual goofy look.  
Jason nodded, not trusting himself to talk. That look, so intense, had his heart jumping into his throat.  
Leo turned back, nodding. "Good. "  
Leo wandered over to a large workbench in the right corner of the room, occupying himself with sorting through tools. As he did, Jason took a moment to admire the room.  
In the center of it, a large box-like structure stood. It looked like a huge machine, wires and various parts showing through a metal casing that seemed to protect it. The walls of the room consisted of panels and smaller machines, with various buttons and switches on them. A loud humming noise was constant, along with smaller clicks and buzzing noises.  
Leo walked back to Jason, holding a small toolbag in his hand. He gave a small smile.  
" let's get to work." He said, grinning. He walked over to the box in the middle of the room , bending over to tu with a lever near the bottom of it. And yes, this did give Jason a perfect view of his ass, which made his face go pink. Gods, he's so beautiful... Jason tried to stop himself, but he couldn't help imagining touching Leo, making him feel good, pressing his lips against his-  
Leo flipped the lever, and a small crawl space opened itself up, a trapdoor opening itself. Leo smiled to himself, and lowered himself to the floor.  
"Uh... What are you doing?" Jason questioned. Leo glanced back at him.  
" well, I can't exactly fix the engine from here , can I?" Leo said, smirking.  
" I mean- yeah, but can you fit in there?" Jason said.  
Leo rolled his eyes.  
" the gods decided to bless me by making we weigh only ninety pounds and making me five feet tall. So yes, I can fit."  
He started to laugh, but then he stopped, thinking over the words Leo had said.  
Jason's mind latched onto the part about him weighing only ninety pounds.  
He laid a hand on Leo's shoulder, stopping him from dropping down into the crawl space.  
"wait... Are you serious?"  
"Yeah, I'm only five feet tall-"  
"No, I knew that. I meant the part about your weight."  
Jason swore he saw a look of panic fleet across Leo's face for a split second , before it was replaced by nonchalance.  
"Nah, I was just exaggerating. You know me. " Leo said, smiling. Jason crossed his arms.  
"Oh really? I guess you'd be willing to step on the scale in the infirmary, then?"  
"Uh... I have work to do, Jay-"  
Jason waved off his excuse, frowning.  
" I'll help you later. It'll only take a second. "  
The mechanic looked down at the crawl space, looking like he wanted to jump down and escape from Jason's questions.  
Finally, Leo stood up, fidgeting mindlessly. A few sparks were igniting in his hair. He was picking at his nails, looking distinctly like a child who had done something wrong and had to fess up.  
Jason took Leo's hand in his, gently.  
"Come on. I just wanna make sure your at the right weight. Your a growing boy, yeah?" Jason said jokingly.  
Leo glanced up at him apprehensively, then looked down at Jason's hand. He went pink, and gave a resigned mumble of  
"Okay..."  
Jason lead him out of the room, guiding him like a dog on a leash.  
\---  
The infirmary was basically a large closet that they had converted into a medical room. The shelves were stuffed with bandages and a couple packages of ambrosia. There was a small bench on the far wall that could serve as an examination table. A small lightbulb glowed from the ceiling.  
It was a tight fit, with the two of them squeezed in there, so Jason left the door halfway open.  
Meanwhile, Leo sat himself down on the bench, looking pale and anxious.  
Jason pulled out the scale from under the bench, setting it in front of the boy.  
He gave him a reassuring smile, which the Latino didn't return.  
"U-Uh, Jay..." Leo began, looking down at the scale. "I... I lied. I'm a little underweight, okay?"  
Jason nodded. He had figured as much. He had felt the boys ribs poking him last night at they'd slept together.  
"It's okay. I know."  
"You do?" Leo said, looking up at him.  
Jason smiled grimly.  
" You've been getting thinner. We've all noticed a little, but we figured it wasn't that bad."  
Leo's eyes widened.  
"The others know?"  
"Well... Kinda. Not really though. Don't worry, they haven't been talking about you or anything." Jason said, quickly realizing Leo's train of thought. He knew that the mechanic hated it when other people talked about him behind his back. In fact, he usually tried to keep himself out of the conversation in general. Whenever a topic pointed at him, he'd try to do everything possible to redirect it at someone else.  
He saw Leo sigh in relief.  
" good. "  
Jason nodded, and poked Leo's shoulder.  
"Come on. Might as well get it out of the way."  
Leo shook his head, looking like he wanted to burst into tears, which made Jason soften his tone and lay a hand on his shoulder.  
He mindlessly moved his hand so it careered against Leo's cheek, rubbing the soft skin.  
Leo looked into his eyes, with a look that was part fear and part bashfulness.  
Taking a breath, Leo stood, brushing off Jason's touch. He put his weight onto the scale, closing his eyes to avoid the number that showed.  
Jason's eyes widened as he read the results.


	8. 7 - Leo -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo's weight is revealed. Angst occurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Mentions eating disorders. Well, sorta? I don't know, read at your own risk. 
> 
> Remember to comment! Todays question is... What is your favorite color? Mine is red. Its the color of passion... and also blood.

" Y-You only weigh 94 pounds?" Jason exclaimed.  
Leo winced and nodded, knowing it wasn't the scale malfunctioning.  
"Leo- how- how did this happen?!"  
Leo looked down at his shoes, his face turning pink with humiliation. Why did things like this always happen to him? It seemed like Aphrodite herself was trying to make sure that Jason knew all of Leo's embarrassing secrets.  
Leo tried to stand and push past Jason, but the blond quickly blocked the doorway with his arm.  
" P-Please let me go-"  
Jason scowled and shook his head.  
"Not until you explain how you managed to loose that much weight."  
Jason gently pushed Leo back to the bench, his hands on the mechanics shoulders. Leo sat down dejectedly, still looking at the ground. When he finally glanced up, he saw Jason looking at him, his hands on his hips.  
He was still frowning, but his eyes looked more concerned than angry. Leo was kind of glad for that. He didn't know if he could handle Jason being angry at him. He could handle anyone else hating him- but not Jason.  
"Talk." Jason ordered. When Leo's eyes started to water, he heard the blonds voice soften. " I'm not angry. I just want to make sure you're okay..."  
Leo nodded, sniffling.  
"I know. I'm sorry I'm being a baby..." Leo mumbled, wiping his nose on the sleeve of his shirt.  
Jason moved to sit beside Leo, and put a hand on his shoulder.  
" It's okay. I get it. "  
" B-But you don't." Leo said, surprising himself. " the others... They're all so strong. Percy, and Annabeth- shit, they've literally been through hell but they're still working and helping everyone. Hazel just came to this century, and she's still a better asset than I am. They're all so cool, they're all fucking heroes. And in supposed to be like then, but I'm not-"  
"Leo, don't say things like that-"  
"But it's true! " Leo snapped. He was crying at this point, tears running down his cheeks. " I'm just a stupid mechanic who can't even finish his work on time. Everyone is counting on me to keep this ship going, and I can hardly even do that! And I'm supposed to be able to use this stupid fire powers to save the day, but every time I try, I just damage or hurt somebody. I'm fucking useless-"  
" Leo-"  
" I should have died in that fire with my mom-"  
"Leo! " Jason shouted, cutting the boy off mid sentence. Sparks were coming from his body, and Leo could feel he hairs on his arms standing on end.  
Fuck, I pissed him off-  
" Leo, don't you dare say things like that about yourself. " Jason growled. He suddenly took Leo's head into his hands, holding his cheeks in his hands. Their faces were only inches apart now, and Leo could feel Jason's breath on his face.  
"I... I'm sorry-"  
"Don't apologize." Jason said, his voice loosing it's harshness. " Leo, I don't want to hear you talk about yourself like that. None of what you said is true-"  
"But-"  
"No buts." Jason broke in. " Just listen for a second, okay ?"  
Leo nodded- as best as he could, anyways, with Jason still holding his head. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he was convinced that it was loud enough for Jason to hear.  
" look, you can't judge yourself based on the others. Yeah, sure, they're all pretty tough- but they're not perfect. I mean, how many times have you heard Annabeth yelling at Percy because he messed up at something?"  
" a lot..." Leo admitted.  
" and how many times has Hazel not been able to go on a mission because she has no clue how modern technology works?"  
" That only happened one time-"  
" Yeah, but you get my point. No one is perfect. You can't expect yourself to be. I mean, shit, we're just kids. If we weren't demigods, we would be in high school, going to dances, pulling pranks on freshmen-"  
" But I'm a freshmen-"  
"Well, you'd still be pranking people- don't get me off topic." Jason said, laughing. He wiped away a tear from Leo's face and finally took his hands away from the Latinos face. Leo blushed, and looked away." Anyways, don't be so hard on yourself. We're on a quest to save the world. It's not like we know how to do this. We just have to try, and hope it turns out alright." Jason nudged Leo's arm.  
"Right?"  
Leo nodded, still blushing.  
"R-Right." Jason smiled at his response. He patted the mechanic's shoulder, standing up and looking Leo in the eye once more.  
" Hey, about your weight..." Leo winced. He had been half hoping that Jason would forget about that, even though he knew that wasn't possible. "Look, I'm not gonna tell the others, okay? I don't want to embarrass you."  
Leo blinked, surprised.  
"Really?" Jason nodded solemnly.  
" yeah, I won't. On one condition."  
Leo frowned slightly, tilting his head.  
"What... What sort of condition?"  
"You have to let me monitor how much you're eating. No more lying about it, okay? I want you to be at a good weight again-"  
"Jason, I feel fine. " Leo broke in. " honestly, I know I don't look great, but-"  
"Don't try to argue." Jason growled, his voice becoming strict. " I don't care what you think, weighing less than 100 pounds isn't healthy . Especially considering how much work you do. Seriously, I have no clue how you even manage to walk with how little you eat."  
Leo scratched the back of his head, looking away. Part of him was tempted to tell Jason that he drank two pots of coffee a day- that was how he managed to run around all day without eating- but he stopped himself. It will only make him more upset, Leo thought. and he doesn't need to know that.  
"So-" Jason continued. " I'm gonna help make sure you eat at least three times a day, alright? No more hiding things from me, and I'll do my best to help you, okay?"  
Leo sighed, unable to say no to Jason's blue eyes.  
"Fine. But I'm not letting it get in the way of my work."  
Jason put up his hands defensively.  
"It won't, it won't. I just want to help."  
"I know." Leo mumbled, standing up. He straightened, having to tilt his neck up to look at Jason.  
"Good." Jason said. He hesitated for a moment, and then ruffled Leo's hair with his hand. As he pulled his hand away, he glanced at the watch on his wrist.  
"Oh, damn." Jason cursed. " it's my turn to do guard duty. Frank has been out there for three hours already.."  
Leo shrugged, his stomach doing flips. How did Jason manage to do that to him with only a casual touch?  
"That's alright. I can finish the rest of the repairs by myself. You go on, do your hero thing. I'll be fine."  
Jason's brow furrowed, and he scowled.  
"You sure? I'm sure I can get someone else to cover for me-"  
Leo shook his head, trying to smile. I wish he could stay.  
" really, it's cool. Hurry up and relieve Frank."  
Jason smiled, looking unsure.  
"Okay. I'll see you at breakfast, I guess..."  
"Yup." Leo grinned, and shoved Jason out the door. " Now leave the master to his work!"  
Jason rolled his eyes, but grinned in return.


	9. 8 - Leo -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo takes a nap, but has a nightmare. Also, Jason goes on a little quest. What could possibly go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- For the next few chapters, I'm going to include a rape/non con warning. I haven't yet decided if I am actually going to write out that scene, or just skip over it and leave it for you to imagine what happened. Either way, just be careful, and don't read it if you are sensitive to those themes. 
> 
> Remember to comment! Todays question is... How much do you hate Teresa, on a scale of 1 - 10 ?

Leo flopped down on his bed, sighing loudly.   
Five hours. That's how long it took him to finish his repairs. Five sweaty, absurdly long hours. Five hours that he had wanted to spend with Jason, but couldn't.   
He'd had to skip breakfast with the others- although on Jason's advice, he'd eaten an apple while he worked. He had sort of wanted to stay- maybe chat with Hazel, annoy Frank- but Annabeth was in a no - nonsense mood today and it was obvious she wanted Leo to do his duties.  
As soon as Leo had tried to suggest that maybe he should get a little break, she had glared and frowned.  
And Leo was far too afraid of the blonde to defy her. How is it possible I'm so afraid of some blonde I hardly know ? Leo thought, running a hand through his hair.   
Apparently, The ship was low on medical supplies- bandages, disinfectant, etc. So, she'd sent Jason, Hazel, and Piper to go to the nearest island and try to find whatever supplies there was available. It was by no means a dangerous mission- as far as they knew, there wasn't any monsters there. But Percy had pointed out that everyone should stay on guard, ready to defend if anything jumped up.   
For the others, that meant pacing around the deck, practicing swordplay.  
For Leo, that meant staying out of the way and trying not to annoy anyone.   
Rubbing his eyes, Leo thought about everything else he'd have to do today.  
He didn't have guard duty tonight, but he wanted to do some work on the steering console. It was consistently tilting to the right, and it had already thrown them a few miles off track. And if he couldn't solve the issue, he'd have to manually steer the Argo all hours of the day- and that was not something he was looking forward to. Last time he'd passed out at the wheel with heatstroke, and suffered a long lecture (from the ever logical Annabeth) about sun exhaustion and being responsible about his own health. In her own way, she was probably trying to be nice- but to Leo it was just another half hour wasted when he could have been working.  
And, he probably couldn't do that until tonight- or, until everyone else was willing to have him around.   
As he thought about all of his responsibilities, He found that his eyelids were dropping on their own accord.   
A short nap couldn't hurt... He mused to himself. It's a couple hours until the others come back anyways...  
With nothing but anxiety on his mind, Leo fell into a deep sleep.   
\- - -   
In his dream, Leo was still in the basement. He'd been there for nearly four days- well, he was pretty sure it was four days. There weren't any windows, so he could only hope that his internal clock was right.   
Luckily for him, Teresa's basement wasn't finished. The floors were concrete, and in some places cracked and exposed to the dirt foundations: because of this, water trickled in from outside, and settled into small puddles of water all along these cracks. Leo had found this- ( even in the total darkness) and drank what he could. It tasted of dirt and was sort of slimy- but it kept him alive. That was more than he could have hoped for.   
Sadly, there wasn't any food. The basement was almost completely empty- only a few empty shelves lined the walls- so even mice and roaches didn't dare to live there, with no places to hide. At this point, he probably would've eaten anything he could- even bugs, if there were any.   
So, on day four, Leo was starving. His stomach was cramping so badly that it hurt to move, and he was so exhausted that all he could do was lay in one place and try to stay awake. As silly as it sounded, Leo had become afraid of the dark. As long as he was awake, he had convinced himself that nothing could get him. But if he dared to fall asleep...   
The woman made of dirt would get him.  
The same woman who had killed his mother, and made everyone think it was his fault-   
Blinking rapidly and clearing his thoughts, the small boy curled his knees to his chest. He was cold- and the concrete floors didn't help. Just as he was wondering if he should try and walk around to warm himself up, the door to the basement opened.  
Teresa stood there, a cigarette between her lips. She wore a cocktail dress, which made Leo think that she had probably just returned from a night out. Behind her, there was another figure- a man, broad shouldered and wearing a suit.   
Teresa walked down the stairs in her heels, leading the man behind her.  
"Here he is. I know he doesn't look like much, but you can do whatever you want to him. I'm sure he'll satisfy you. He hasn't eaten in days, so he's too weak to defy you. " reaching Leo, Teresa's sweet tone turned harsh. " get up, Diablo."   
Leo stood obediently, though he found that his legs were shaking.   
The man kneeled in front of Leo, so they were at eye level. Leo stared at the ground, for some reason dreading making eye contact.  
" He's still a virgin. I've sold him to some other men, but they've only done oral with him. It's five thousand for a couple hours. No limits- just try not to kill him."   
The man tilted Leo's chin upwards with a large hand. The mans eyes were black- at least, that's how they looked to Leo. He had dark hair, and stubble on his chin. His eyes were cruel, and reminded him of a shark. As Leo stared back shyly, the man grinned, showing shiny white teeth.  
"Yes..." He murmured, his grip tightening on Leo's chin. " I think we will have fun together..." The man turned back to Teresa, saying " I'll take him. Leave me with him."   
Teresa smirked, and nodded. She turned and walked up the stairs silently.   
The man suddenly pushed Leo down to the floor, pinning him with his arms. Leo gasped in shock, and tried to squirm and fight. As soon as he tried, the man lifted a hand and punched the boy in the nose, successfully breaking it.   
Leo went still, eyes widening in shock. Even Teresa had never dared to punch him that hard.  
The man smiled.   
"Yes... I think I'll have plenty of fun with you."   
\- - -   
"Leo!"   
The Latino awoke suddenly, sitting upright in his bed.   
Annabeth was standing at his door, panting and looking frantic.   
"The mission didn't go right. They... They got hurt. We need all hands on deck!"   
Before he could respond, the girl sprinted away back to the deck.


	10. 9 - Jason -

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason comes back, not in the best of shape. Don't worry though, Leo is here to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- slight gore warning, though its honestly not that bad.   
> \- Baclofen is a muscle relaxer that may cause drowsiness and confusion :)  
> Remember to comment! Todays question is... what is the most physical pain you've ever been in? Mine was when I had dental surgery, where they cut into my gums to move an adult tooth that wasn't moving into the proper position in my mouth. I was so disoriented when I woke up from the anesthesia that I threw up on a nurse. Lol 
> 
> \- also I read a headcannon somewhere that Jason has a slight lisp, and ever since ive firmly believed it.

Jason stumbled as he landed on the deck, falling onto his knees with a groan.   
Everything had been going well on the mission. They'd found some various medical supplies, managing to steal from one of the local stores thanks to Pipers charm speak. ( Although, Hazel had left a few dollars on the counter, feeling guilty. Jason hadn't had the heart to tell her that the country they were in probably didn't accept American currency).   
Then, just as they had been heading back to the shore where the boat was anchored, a flock of harpies had descended out of them from nowhere, clawing and screeching.   
Jason had sustained some pretty bad blows before he could manage to draw his sword. They'd head butted him in the chest. He was pretty sure his ankle was broken, not to mention the various gashes along his arms and chest. His sword arm had taken the worst of it- in his panic, he'd let his guard down, which had allowed them to claw at his arm when he was distracted.   
Even with Piper and Hazel fighting alongside him, they'd barely managed to make it to the Argo.   
Piper and Hazel managed to climb aboard behind him, both of them panting and gasping for breath.   
In the back of his mind, Jason registered that they were talking to him, asking him if he was alright- but he couldn't find the energy to talk. He could feel blood trickling down his chest, dripping onto the deck of the Argo.   
He heard Annabeth yell something to Piper, and heard the daughter of Aphrodite say something back- he caught the words Monsters and we didn't see them coming.   
Then he heard footsteps retreating, and somebody trying to pull him back up onto his feet. But he just couldn't- the pain was starting to intensify as his adrenaline faded, and all he could do was groan and slump against the deck.   
" Jason? Jason? Get up." Piper said, but her voice was far away, and even the charm speak in her words barely touched Jason's mind. He closed his eyes tightly, hoping and praying to the gods that they would just let him pass out.   
Then those hands were replaced by somebody else's- hands that felt calloused and rough. Then he heard a voice, lower than Pipers, calling out his name.  
" Jason? Jay? Wake up, cmon..." Jason opened his eyes slightly, only now realizing that he was now laying on the deck instead of just kneeling.   
Leo was hovering above him, his eyebrows creased with worry. His eyes were large and scared looking, and Jason had the delirious thought that maybe he should kiss him, to show him that everything was okay and that he really wasn't feeling all that bad.  
" Jay?" His voice was clearer now, and Jason noticed that the sun was throwing highlights into Leo's eyes, edging them with golden orange. And his hair was slightly ruffled, curling around his cheeks and neck.   
" Pretty..." Jason mumbled. He saw Leo's cheeks turn red just before his vision faded to inky blackness.   
\- - -   
Jason had no clue if he'd been asleep for minutes or hours. His sleep had been dreamless and deep, and when he finally awoke, he felt drowsy and dizzy.  
Opening his eyes and squinting at the bright light, Jason tried to remember what had happened. He'd been on a mission, with Piper and Hazel... And then there was Harpies. He'd gotten hurt- he could feel that now, his arms, foot and chest still ached. Then they had made a desperate sprint to the boat...  
Trying to sit up, Jason realized that someone was sitting beside him on the bed. That person quickly moved and pushed Jason back into lying down, murmuring softly to him.  
" Shh, relax... You shouldn't be straining yourself. You lost a lot of blood."   
" Leo?" Jason grunted, his vision slowly focusing on the Latino next to him. The boy was wearing what Jason guessed were his pajamas- a hoodie, and a pair of sweatpants.   
" Yeah. It's me." Leo awkwardly removed his hand from Jason's chest. "Um, how are you feeling?"   
Shaking his head slowly, Jason found that his tongue felt swollen in his mouth, and his throat felt rough.   
" N...Not so great." Jason croaked, wincing as his voice lisped on the s. He hadn't had a lisp in his voice since he was five. He thought it had been gone for good, but apparently he was so out of it that it had come back.   
Leo nodded, looking worried.   
" Sorry. I wanted to give you more ambrosia, but Annabeth said that if we gave you anymore that it might kill you..." Leo scratched the back of his head, looking nervous. " so, ah, we have you some Baclofen that Hazel found in one of the med kits you retrieved. Annabeth said it might help you feel calm, and help with the pain a little. Sorry we did it without asking you, but you were out cold, so..." Leo explained, tripping over his words in an anxious rush.   
Jason nodded. So that was why he felt so sleepy and disoriented. Not to mention that it apparently had made him so relaxed that he'd reformed to his old speech habits. Though, he supposed that he should be grateful that it was helping with the pain.   
" How bad are my injuries?" Jason said, carefully choosing his words to avoid as many S' as he could.  
" Not too bad." Leo said, smiling slightly. " I mean, they healed so they're just small scratches now, but your ankle was really badly broken, so it only healed partially. You have some broken ribs too. And you still have a ton of bruises, but all in all, you're doing pretty okay."   
" How long was I out?" Jason said, realizing that he had no clue what time it was.  
" About five hours. It's the middle of the night. I've been with you, watching you while you slept." Leo said, suddenly looking away in bashfulness. " Ugh, that sounds weird. I mean, I was just making sure you didn't die while you slept, and stuff."   
Jason tried to laugh, but stopped abruptly when his chest ached in protest.   
" Ah..." He groaned. Leo squeezed his arm, looking sympathetic.   
" Sorry. "   
" Not your fault." Jason said, wincing. Suddenly he realized he had no clue what had happened to Piper and Hazel.  
" Wait... Are the others okay? Did you kill the rest of the harpies?"   
" Yeah, they're all good. Everything's good. They didn't have as bad of injuries as you did. They had some ambrosia, and now they're in tip top shape. " Leo shook his head, clicking his tongue. " Seriously, you need to stop acting like a hero. What did you do, try to take on all of those things? Even you can't do shit like that." He frowned. " You need to take better care of yourself. "   
" Says the boy who's been working nonstop and forgetting to eat." Jason shot back, grinning as Leo turned red.   
" Hey, that's different!" Leo laughed, gently shoving Jason in a playful manner.   
He quickly turned solemn once more, saying-   
" Um... Do you want me to help you sit up? So you can drink some water and eat?"  
Jason nodded, trying to prop himself up on his elbows, but failing as it aggravating a gash along his arm.   
" S-Shit..." Jason said. It came out more as thit, which only made him feel more stupid. Leo smiled, then wrapped an arm around his shoulder and helped him move into a sitting position.   
" Thanks..." Jason mumbled, blushing.   
Leo grinned.   
" No problem. " he paused, biting his lip. " You never told me you had a lisp."   
Jason shook his head.  
" It was a long time ago. I haven't had it since I was a kid..." Jason sighed.   
Before he had been found by Camp Jupiter, back in the old days when he still lived with his mom, he had been a bit of a nervous wreck. His best guess was that he was stressed about his mother- who was never quite the same after Zeus left her. He'd developed his lisp at a pretty young age- he couldn't remember exactly, but he did know that almost as soon as he learned to speak, his lisp had followed quickly. When he'd finally realized he was a demigod- and joined Camp Jupiter- the rigorous battle training had slowly given him back some confidence. Over time- with a little bit of speech therapy- his lisp had finally disappeared.   
Ugh, Jason thought, Leo's gonna think I'm so weird...   
" I'm not making fun of you or anything, I just never knew that." Leo consoled. Jason smiled slightly, feeling relieved. I guess I shouldn't have assumed.   
The Latino fidgeted for a moment, then suddenly perked up. " Um, I'll go grab you some food from the mess hall. Be right back." Leo hopped off the bed, and left the room leaving Jason sitting on the bed.   
\- - -   
Now that he had a moment to look around, he saw that he was in his room. He assumed someone must have carried him here, since he had no memory of walking himself. That itself was sort of embarrassing.   
His right arm was wrapped in bandages, and he could feel that his right foot was as well. Luckily, he was still in the same bloodstained clothes- he shuddered to think that someone might have changed him in his sleep. Well... Except maybe Leo. He wouldn't have minded that.   
Sighing, Jason tried to relax, leaning back against the headboard. As he did, his mind began to wander- specifically, to the few moments before he had passed out.   
Remember the way he looked, leaning over you? His eyes glowing? Jason thought, his heart fluttering in his chest. Remember how you wanted to kiss him? Remember how he blushed? He looked so cute...   
Jason shook his head, his face going pink.   
He probably only blushed because you weirded him out. You called him pretty. Maybe he didn't take it as a compliment ? I mean, guys aren't usually called pretty...  
Although, if there was a word to describe Leo's appearance, Pretty was certainly it. From those large brown eyes, framed with long eyelashes, to his soft, dark hair... Jason thought that he was probably the most beautiful man he'd ever met. He had major attraction toward him- and worried that maybe the boy didn't feel the same way.   
But... Maybe he was overthinking all of this. Maybe he shouldn't be thinking about wooing his crush, when he had almost just died.   
Shit, what would have happened to the others if he had died? He knew that he was a pretty important asset to the team. As a son of Zeus, he was the only one who could help them through tough weather and airborn enemies.   
And what about Leo? He knew now that the Latino couldn't be trusted to take care of himself. Not to mention the nightmares that the boy was having- clearly they were severe, and bothering him more than he cared to admit. After all, Jason knew that the boy was proud, and would only have let Jason comfort him ( as he had last night) if he was seriously hurting.  
He's right. I really should try to be more careful. Jason thought. A small smile came over his face. On the bright side, at least I have a really cute nurse to help me get better...  
Jason startled as Leo walked back into the room , carrying a plate of food in his hand.  
The mechanic grinned.   
" Dinner time!"


End file.
